Show Review: He Is Legend, Chimaira, Dragonforce, Killswith Engage

March 20, 2007 - House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino

Those who know me, know that I am a huge Dragonforce fan - I mean, a huge fan. A maniacal, obsessive, really quite pathetic example of the effects of great power-metal on the fragile human psyche. What you may not know, though, is that my wife (she's the chick on the right) is an even bigger fan than myself. A woman of refined metal tastes, she expects only the best in all things, including her power-metal. We caught Dragonforce together on their first full US tour, on a ridiculous tour lineup with All That Remains and HORSE the band, and when we discovered they were bringing Inhuman Rampage across the United States again, we had to check it out.

What's better: They were playing the House of Blues in Las Vegas. If one really needs an excuse to take a vacation to Las Vegas, this is it. But you really don't need one.

I'll start by saying that, in theory, the Las Vegas House of Blues in Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino is a great venue - it's spacious while maintaining a cozy club vibe, it's stylish, well-lit, and the waitresses are friendly. However, that's where it ends - my lady and I decided to get a couple of drinks to get us loose for the show, a beer for me and a whiskey for her. The total came to a whopping $20 - for two drinks! So, if you go to a show at the HoB in Vegas, drink in the casino first or take a well-concealed hip-flask. My other issue was the security - okay, I know, security sucks at every venue, but these guys were dicks. I won't go into details, but really, there's no reason to be that much of a prick, guys.

First up on the lineup was North Carolina's He is Legend - a well-dressed, southern-rock loving hardcore band who, to be perfect honest, we utterly painful to watch. While their style of metal was unique, it wasn't really in a good way. Lead vocalist Schuylar Croom pranced on stage like Robert Plant (in pants tighter than any Mr. Plant would have dared tried to cram into) while guitarist Adam Tanbouz (a short, emo-looking fellow) thrashed around like Angus Young with a nasty case of crabs. Mixing elements of hardcore, metal, and good ol' whiskey-drinkin' southern rock, these dudes meant well, but they were sloppy, screechy, and really, really annoying. Their songs bled one into the other, one overused breakdown after another, and ended up sounding like a chuggy drone to start the show.

Then, Chimaira took the stage. I had low expectations for this band, based on their 2003 album, The Impossibility of Reason which was, really, just okay. The band showed some promise as an up-and-coming post-hardcore metal band, but I didn't expect anything out of them. That was, until I saw them live. Holy shit. The first thing I noticed about their live show was their sound check - yeah, they're that good. In the ten minutes leading up to the show, the band set up a rather modest-looking keyboard ensemble that, when tested, sent a shock-wave of synthetic sound out over the audience, and nearly stopped my heart. Come show-time, the effect was used in conjunction with the drummer Andols Herrick's impressive double-bass skills. The result: Oh em gee. These guys play a tight, loud, visually overstimulating set, complete with an insane light show, shredding solos, and, oh yeah, a kick-ass half-cover of the Pantera Classic "I'm Broken". The band had the best sound system of the show as well, and made use of every inch of it. If you're looking for a band that will punish you, and possibly cause permanent neural damage, Chimaira's your band.

Then, the mighty Dragonforce. The first time I saw them, on the Inhuman Rampage: The First Strike tour, I caught them in a shitty little club in Salt Lake City that's used as a religious community center during the week and hosts metal bands to fill in time slots. Even when sharing the stage with ridiculous synth-metal bands and second-rate death metal, Dragonforce shined, bringing an hour and a half of pure epic greatness. So, my expectations were high this time around, and I was not let down. While their set time was cut in half from the previous tour and the band didn't have time to play their 10-minute ballads (which are killer live), they spanned all 3 of their albums, playing the highlights from each, including their singles Through the Fire and the Flames and my wife's favorite Operation Ground 'n' Pound.

My only complaint that I took away from seeing Dragonforce play live the first time was that their solo work was a bit sloppy and, at times, off-key. This is a common complaint amongst even the most rabid fan, but on this latest tour, the band has resolved that issue, and it makes the live Dragonforce experience that much more powerful. Dueling guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman are tighter and more proficient than ever, while enigmatic, energetic lead vocalist ZP Theart remains a joy to watch perform.

And lastly, Killswitch Engage. Their set was ... oh, okay, I'm not going to lie. I left before Killswitch took the stage. I honestly just can't stand these guys and I think it's utterly blasphemous to the mightly D-Force to open for these clowns. But that's nothing new - Dragonforce has a really bad habit of touring with lesser bands when it comes to the United States - so while Europe gets the powerhouse duo of Firewind and the 'Force, we get them with trendy hardcore-metal-hybrid bands.

I'll certainly be catching Dragonforce the next time they tour the 'States, but I can only hope they choose better bands to take to the road with. Perhaps bring that glory of the Dynamic Duo with Firewind next time? A boy can dream.